The best cameras for anyone ready to move beyond their smartphone

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Sony
They say the best camera is the one that's with you, but that's because you haven't bought a better camera yet. While the best smartphone cameras are convenient, they still can't top a dedicated shooter in terms of pure picture quality.

That is, so long as you get the right one. So to help, we've laid out the different types of upgrade paths you can take, along with our favorite cameras within them. We're mostly sticking to entry-level stuff, but that should still be enough to see immediate improvements.

Point-and-shoot

The most accessible way to upgrade from your smartphone is to pick up a point-and-shoot, or compact, camera. They can't swap out lenses, but they're small, straightforward, and, in many cases, out there for cheap. Don't expect pro quality, but you'll get better zoom, and if you pay your way closer to the midrange you can take your Facebook or Instagram posts up a notch.

Amazon
On the budget side, a good, affordable model we like is the Nikon Coolpix S7000, which is currently going for less than $150 on Amazon. For that money you get a generous 20x optical zoom, a 16-megapixel sensor, built-in WiFi and NFC, full HD video, and a comfortable, easily transportable design.

We can't say its image quality is universally better than the absolute best smartphone cameras — like many cheap compacts, its work in low-light settings is just okay — but in most cases it produces vibrant, accurate colors without too much noise. That 20x zoom is deep for the money, and works well, without fattening up the camera as a whole. While it has some of the expected shortcomings that pop up in this price range (no touchscreen, for one), right now the S7000 represents good value.

Amazon
If you can afford a step up, though, the Sony RX100 II is the first of a few cameras in this guide that're more or less universally beloved. (In truth, so is whole RX100 series.)

Without delving too deep into the design tricks Sony pulled off with the sensor here, know that this takes better-looking pics than most would expect from such a thin and simple machine. Its autofocus is fast, it has WiFi, and it holds up in low-light. Sony's released newer RX100 models in the years since it launched, but now that it's around $550, this is the best overall value of the bunch.

Amazon
Finally, if your adventures regularly take you out to the seas or into the wild, the Olympus Tough TG-4 is the rugged shooter you want. It's waterproof, freezeproof, crushproof, and shockproof. So it can take a beating — even as it stays as compact and simple as you'd expect from a point-and-shoot camera.

What puts it over the top is that its picture quality is great, too — not really on the Sony's level, but sharp and dependable, with quick autofocus, RAW support, and a wide aperture that helps at night.

Mirrorless

Maybe you don't want to mess around, though. If you'd like to get a little more serious about your photography, you should go past the compacts in favor of a mirrorless or DSLR shooter. You can get stellar image quality either way — though DSLRs tend to win out the higher you go up the price bracket — and both allow for interchangeable lenses.

Mirrorless cameras are termed as such because they forego the light-reflecting mirrors that work with the optical viewfinders you'd find in DSLRs. This makes them generally less sharp and slower to focus as a result, but it means they're smaller, lighter, and more affordable, too. They're a good middle ground, blending something close to the compactness of a point-and-shoot with something close to the imagery of a DSLR.

Since we're focusing on people just graduating from a smartphone, this is probably the category to shop for anyone willing to pay for superior photo quality. We'll highlight a nice beginner's DSLR below, but for the most part, paying for that form factor is only worth it if you have cash to burn, want to get really serious about your shots (and thus go over four figures), or just like the look of the thing.

Don't let their similar names fool you, though: While the pair have comparable internals, the a5100's touchscreen and UI are aimed at those who're moving on from their smartphones. If you're taking the step up, it makes just getting a nice pic fairly simple. The a6000, meanwhile, offers more granular, manual shooting controls, and is best suited for those who've had at least some experience with these kind of machines before.

Whichever way you go, however, you'll get truly stellar photo quality, in a wonderfully compact frame, at a price that is far from outrageous. The a6000 is a little more dependable for $50 extra, but both cameras have big sensors that allow for greatly detailed shots, along with superbly quick and precise autofocus. They do well with low-light and fast-moving subjects, and they're both capable of taking stellar video, too. You can even flip their displays around and take a few selfies.

With both hovering in the $500-550 range, the Alphas are easy to recommend to anyone who wants a genuine and immediate camera improvement. If you don't plan on going too deep into the woods and want to save a few bucks, the a5100 is great. If you'd like to make this more of a hobby, the a6000 is too.

DSLR

As mentioned above, for the "new-to-cameras" audience we're addressing, one of the mirrorless options generally offers the best price-to-quality ratio for most people. By comparison, entry-level DSLRs are much chunkier, less featured, and a little more complex for beginners to get the hang of. They'll have relatively superior photos and faster focus — and they'll still produce way better pics than your phone — but the overall package isn't as appealing as a mirrorless until you pay more.

Amazon
However, if you have aspirations of eventually graduating to an higher-tier DSLR, or you simply like the feeling of carrying a professional-looking camera around, a good beginner's DSLR like the Nikon D3300 can make sense.

It doesn't have built-in WiFi, and it's nowhere near svelte, but it's light for what it is, it supports 1080p video and RAW files, and the included "Guide Mode" tool does well to break down some of its complexities for beginners. Although it'll sometimes let in some noise, its performance is strong, with accurate colors, solid low-light quality, and nice detail.

And again, it comes backed by overwhelmingly positive reviews. If you're going to spend around $500, we'd still advise you to get one of the Sonys above, but now that it's around $400, the D3300 is a solid value for those set on a DSLR.

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